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THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


GIFT  OF 


^■m-9. 


'^^*JLl^  Commodore  Byron  McCandless  ^'5S'^^^&  .* 


SecJVENiR 


®  ®  ® 


I9tf)  of  April,  '75. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2008  with  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/flagofminutemenaOObrow 


SetivENiR 


®  ® 


I9tf)  of  April,  Y5. 


FLAG 


Tffi  AINUTB  AEN 


APRIL    19,    1775. 


Its  (Ovicjiu  and  Histovy, 


By  ABRAM   ENGLISH    BROWN, 

AUTHOR    OF   THE  HISTORY  OF  BEDFORD.    GLIMPSES  OF  OLD 
NEW  ENGLAND   LIFE,    FTC. 


PUBLISHED    BY 
BEDFORD    HISTORICAL    SOCIETY, 

APRIL    IV,    l8y4. 


Copyr'ujhted  1H'j4,  by  the  Author. 


PRESS    OF    R.    H.    BLODGETT   &    CO.,    30    BROMFIELD    STREET,    BOSTON. 


OK 

114- 


Ta    all  AA/hn   sharE   the   blEsslngs    nf 

LIBERTYj 

This    SnuvEnir    nf  thE    Dpening   REvnlutiDii 

is    gratEfuUy  inscribEii, 


956759 


.'O 


o 


^qUER  Of?  Q^ 


^.', 


ay   Ihc   rude   kiridqc   ^^M   ll")at   aFCQcd   Ihc     lood. 

j-r)cir  llaei    lo   J[r> ^^m  tA  s  k)reG:5C   urjIuriGd. 

Icrc   or)ce    fr)c  ^^^F  cn^ballicd   |arrr)crs  slood 

/ir)d   Tirza       ^^^F     lr)c    sr)ot    neard    r0ur)d     Iric   world. 

— Emeraon. 


The  only  flag  in  existence  that  waved  over  the  "embattled  fanners,"  April 
19,  '7">. — Boston  Journal,  MarcJi,  '.'>^. 


It  was  originally  designed  in  England  in  1G60-70,  for  the  three 
County  troops  of  Middlesex,  and  became  one  of  the  accepted  standards 
of  the  organized  Militia  of  the  State,  and  as  snch  it  was  used  by  the 
Bedford  Company.  In  my  opinion  this  flag  far  exceeds  in  historic 
value  the  famed  flag  of  Eutaw  and  Pulaski's  banner,  and  in  fact  is  the 
most  precious  memorial  of  its  kind  of  which  we  have  any  knowledge. 

—  William  S.  Appleton,  Mass.  Historical  Society. 
January,  ]SS(;. 


T 


FACTS   OF   HISTORY. 

HE  ancient  standard  of  the  Massachusetts  Militia  became  the  flag 
of  the  Minute  Men  on  the  morning  of  April  19,  1775. 
In  the  preceding  March,  the  Town  of  Bedford  voted 


"  To  pay  twenty-five  Minute  men  one  shilling  per  week  until  the  first  of  May, 
they  to  exercise  four  hours  in  a  week,  and  two  shillings  to  be  allowed  two  officers, 
they  to  equip  tlieiuselves  according  to  the  advice  of  the  Provincial  Congress," 

which  assembled'  at  Concord  and  of  which  John  Hancock  was  president. 

The  officers  of  the  Minute  men  had  no  commissions,  as  did  those 
of  the  Militia  already  in  service,  hence  their  authority  came  through 
the  suffrage  of  their  associates. 

The  time  for  preparation  was  limited.  The}^  were  itpon  the  alert, 
and  were  not  disconcerted  by  the  cry  sent  out 

"  Througli  every  Middlesex  village  and  farm." 

"  The  Regulars  are  coming." 

Delegates  from  Captain  Parker's  company,  of  Lexington,  gave  the 
alarm  at  Bedford.  The  messengers  found  a  ready  response.  The  men 
assembled  at  Fitch's  tavern,  according  to  a  preconcerted  plan.  There 
a  lunch  was  hastily  served,  where  Captain  Wilson  uttei-ed  the  memor- 
able words,  "  It  is  a  cold  breakfast,  boys,  but  we'll  give  the  British  a 
hot  dinner;  we'll  have  every  dog  of  them  before  night.'' 

When  we  consider  that  the  officers  of  the  Minute  men  were  not 
commissioned,  and  the  uprising  voluntary,  it  is  reasonable  to  account 
for  an  improvised  flag  in  use  by  the  Bedford  company.  The  old  Stand- 
ard was  in  the  Page  family,  and  the  office  of  cornet,  or  color  bearer, 
was  a  sort  of  inheritance,  hence,  Nathaniel  Page,  aroused  by  the  early 
messenger,  seized  the  relic  of  early  service  and  hastened  with  his 
associates  to  the  scene  of  action. 


On  the  arrival  of  the  company  at  Concord,  they  assisted  in  remov- 
ing stores  to  places  of  greater  safety.  Tradition  says  that  Cornet  Page 
laid  down  his  flag  and  went  to  work,  and  when  returning  to  look  for  it 
"  found  the  boys  had  got  it  and  were  playing  soldiers.' 

'•  The  Bedford  companies  met  with  no  loss  at  the  bridge,  and  were 
all  in  the  pursuit  of  the  retreating  enemy.  They  left  the  '  Great 
Fields  '  at  Merriam's  Corner  and  engaged  in  the  attack,  then  hastened 
in  the  pursuit  and  were  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight  near  the  '  Brooks' 
Tavern,'  Avhere  Captain  Wilson  was  killed  and  Job  Lane  wounded." 

The  old  flag  was  returned  to  the  Page  mansion  and  there  kept 
until  the  centennial  celebration  at  Concord,  when  it  was  carried  by  the 
Bedford  Delegation  in  the  procession  of  that  day.  Ten  years  later, 
October  19,  1885,  the  (one  hundred  and  fourth  anniversary  of  the  sur- 
render of  Cornwallis  to  \A''ashington)  it  Avas  presented  by  Captain 
Cyrus  Page  to  the  Town  of  Bedford  "to  be  forever  in  the  custody  of 
the  Bedford  Free  Public  Library  Corporation.'' 

It  is  sacredly  guarded  by  them  as  an  invaluable  memorial.  The 
ravages  of  time  have  not  entirely  spared  the  delicate  fabric,  and  it  is 
necessarily  denied  the  exposure  which  a  patriotic  people  would  gladly 
permit. 


1st  Lieutenant,  John  Merria.m. 

Sergeant,  .roSEPH  (Jonvkrs. 
Sergeant,  -Tames  Wkight. 


fRIVATES. 

.lames  Lane  Jr.,  3il. 
Oliver  Keetl,  J,r. 
Samuel  Lane. 
Israel  Putnam,  .Ir. 
Samuel  Bacon. 
Samuel  Davis. 
Ebenezer  Page. 
Tliaddeus  Davis. 
Eihvard  Stearns. 
Solomon  Stearns. 
William  Page. 
AVilliani  Maxwell. 
Samuel  Meads. 
Josiah  Upton. 
Sauiuel  Merriam. 
Abel  Bowman. 
David  Fitch. 
Abijah  Bacon. 
Ziba  Lane. 
.Sampson  Hard> . 
Lemuel  Blancliaiil. 
Kdward  Stearns. 


BEDFORD   MILITIA. 

Captain,  JOHN  MoOKE. 

2nd  Lieutenant,  Eleazer  I)a\  is 
Sergeant,  Jericmf.vh  Fitcii,  Ju. 
Fifer,  David  Lane. 


In  Menrory       of  Ca.^: 
11  JcnsbthsLn  Wt  Hf^f^,  who     "^^ 
fl  WdS  Killed   in  Ccncovd'-    ^ 

1y\  iht  4'^!'\ie&rofh\s  flg~^^ 


PRIVATES. 

Josiah  Davis. 
Simeon  Parker. 
Joseph  Ross 
Jabez  Carter. 
John  Lane. 
Joseph  Hartwell. 
Thomas  Bacon. 
John  Fitch. 
Samuel  Lane,  Jr. 
John  Lane,  Jr. 
.Solomon  Lane. 
M:itthew  I'<illar<l. 
Stephen  Lane. 
Joli  Lane,  -Jr. 
Oliver  Pollard,  Jr. 
Jeremiah  Willard. 
John  Reed. 
Ebenezer  Johnson. 
.Machias  Allen. 
Abraham  Merriam. 
Timothy  Page. 


BEDFORD  MINUTE   MEN. 


1st  Lieutenant,  IMoses  Ahuott. 
Sergeant,  Christopher  Pace. 
Sergeant,  ?:i!K.\ezi;r  Fitch. 


.'nd    Lieutenant,  TiMOTHV   JoKES. 

Sergeant,  Seth  Sault.masi 
Sergeant,  Asa  Fassett. 


Joseph  Meads,  Jr. 
Reul)en   Haeon. 
Moses  Fitch. 
Timothj'  Johnson. 
Ephriam  Smith. 

Benjamin  Winship. 
Drummer,  Oliver  Bacon, 


l-RIVATKS. 

Jabez  Russell. 
Jonas  Gleason. 
David  Bacon. 
Obidiah  Johnst>n. 
David  Reed. 


WiUiaui  ]\Ierriam. 


K.ithan  Bacon. 
N.-ithaniel  Page,  Jr. 
Eli.iah  Bacon. 
Nathan  Bowman. 
Asa  Duren. 

Fifer,  Jonas  Welch. 


This  sworn  return  made  by  the  Lieutenant,  some  months  after  the   IDth,  did  not  include 
the  Captain,  wlio  was  killed. 


[George's  CninhrhJge  Alman((cl\  for  the  Year  of  our  BedeDiption,  177(>.] 

/^X  the  iDtli  of  April,  177"),  a  day  to  be  r(:-'nienil)eretl  by  all  Americans 
of  the  present  generation,  and  which  ought,  and  doubtless  will  be, 
handed  down  to  ages  yet  unborn,  in  Avhich  the  troops  of  Britain,  un- 
l)rovoked,  shed  the  blood  of  sundry  loyal  American  subjects  of  tlie 
British  King  on  the  field  of  Lexington.  .  .  . 

The  detachment,  seeming  to  thirst  for  hlood,  wantonly  rushed  on 
and  first  began  the  hostile  scene  by  firing  on  this  small  party,  in 
which  they  killed  eight  men  on  the  spot  and  wounded  several  others, 
before  any  guns  were  fired  upon  the  troops  by  our  men.  .  .  .  Colonel 
Smith  with  the  detachment  then  proceeded  to  Concord  where  a  part 
of  the  detachment  again  made  the  first  fire  upon  some  of  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Concord  and  the  adjacent  towns,  who  were  collected  at  a 
bridge  upon  this  just  alarm,  and  killed  two  of  them  and  wounded 
several  others  before  any  of  the  Provincials  there  had  done  one  hostile 
act.  Then  the  Provincials  (aroused  with  zeal  for  the  Liberties  of 
their  country,  finding  life  and  everything  dear  and  valuable  at  stake) 
assumed  their  native  valor  and  returned  the  fire,  and  the  engagement 
on  both  sides  began.  Soon  after  which  the  British  troops  retreated 
towards  Charlestown  (having  first  committed  violence  and  waste  on 
public  and  private  property).  .  .  .  The  engagement  lasted  through  the 
day,  many  were  killed  and  wounded  on  each  side. 

"We  never  saw  anything  equal  to  the  intrepidity  of  the  Xew 
England  minute  men.'' — Lord  Percy. 

"They  fought  like  bears,  and  I  would  as  soon  storm  hell  as  fight 
them  again." — British  Soldier. 

9 


"  They  poured  out  their  generous  blood  like  water  before  they  knew 
whether  it  would  fertilize  the  land  of  freedom  or  of  bondage." 


—  ]Vtb.sln: 


V//, 


'0//y/y^^ 


III'/  II 


APRIL 


LEXINGTON. 
Nathaniel  W  y  m  a  n . 
Jonas  Parker. 
Robert  Monroe. 
Samuel  Hadley. 
Jonathan  Harrington. 
Isaac  Muzzy. 
Caleb  Harrington. 
John  Brown. 
Jedediah  Monroe 
John  Raymond. 

ACTON. 
Capt.  Isaac  Davis. 
Abner  Hosmer. 
James   Hayward. 

BEDFORD. 
Capt.  Jonathan  Wilson 

WOBURN. 
Daniel  Thompson. 
Asahel  Porter. 


J'hc  Immovtal   i^cvoH 


'75. 

MENOTOMY. 
Jason  Russell. 
Jabez  Wyman. 
Jason  Winship. 

SUDBURY. 
Josiah  Haynes. 
Asahel  Reed. 

DANVERS. 
Henry  Jacobs. 
Samuel  Cook. 
Ebenezer  Goldthwait. 
George  Southwick. 
Benjamin  Daland. 
Jotham  Webb. 
Perley  Putnam. 

LYNN. 
Abednego  Ramsdell. 
William  Flint. 
Thomas  Hadley. 
Daniel  Townsend. 


Am\m\\i\i\u 


BEVERLEY. 
Reuben  Kennison. 

SALEM. 
Benjamin  Peirce. 

CAMBRIDGE. 
Moses  Richardson. 
John  Hicks. 
William  Marcy. 

NEEDHAM. 
Lieut.  John  Bacon. 
Sergt.  Elisha  Mills. 
Amos  Mills. 
Nath'l  Chamberlain. 
Jonathan  Parker. 


DEDHAM. 
Elias  Haven. 

MEDFORD. 
Henry  Putnam 
William  Polly. 

BROOKLINE 

Isaac  Gardner. 

CHARLESTOWN. 
James  Miller. 
Edward  Barber. 

WATERTOWN. 
Joseph  Coolidge. 


■(.i//,Ofi/f'///, 


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«\ 


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